Adaptive Furniture

ABSTRACT

A simple, low cost, easy to clean adaptive furniture set is provided, affording a variety of furniture configurations including a bed, a chair or a shelf storage unit. This modular set is particularly useful for students, low-income families, and transient or refugee populations.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

62/010,116

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

none

SEQUENCE LISTING

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With recent economic trends, people are increasingly being dislocated from traditional nuclear family living into the need for more flexible living arrangements. Not only are young family members leaving home for college, but also these same folks are often unable to find employment that avails them of their own homes as adults. The relative cost of home maintenance versus personal income is changing, and with it the need for low cost, easily transported and reconfigurable furniture.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Beyond this economic trend is an increasing number of transient endangered people fleeing away from unsafe economically, militarily or health threatened areas and into safer but more crowded regions where living quarters must be hastily created and protected against the spread of contagious disease.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

My invention is an adaptable set of modules that can be arranged in several ways to provide a place to sleep, a table for eating, chairs of a simple Japanese zabuton style, or a set of shelves for the storage of items. This invention comprises four separate components—two types of base units, one type of cushion, and one type of shelf. As a kit, these could be purchased as a set of one central base unit, two end base units, three shelves and a handful of fasteners to hold them together in various configurations. Individual components such as clean cushions could be purchased separately as needed.

Each base unit is fabricated, either as a single piece or as a structural equivalent pre-assembled from separate parts. Cost, simplicity and ease of cleaning are all major factors; therefore, this description will be arbitrarily exemplified by the case of single-piece molded parts. Each base unit is a flat panel provided on one of its two flat surfaces with several rectangular ribs. When placed on a floor horizontally and aligned end-to-end, with one central base unit situated between each of two end base units, this assemblage of three units forms the shape and size of a bed—for example 25 inches wide by 90 inches long—and provides a flat horizontal surface raised above the floor that can hold a trio of cushions that together form a mattress for sleeping.

For more dedicated installations, a series of such adjacent beds can be lined up side-to-side to accommodate a large number of people, as in a homeless shelter. The trio of cushions could of course be economically replaced by single full-length mattress cushions instead. Raised above the floor level, as it is, this bed affords protection against insects, fluid spills and cold floor-level air.

When used individually, each of the three base units with its associated cushion can serve as a kneeling pad or serve the function of a traditional Japanese zabuton chair used around a low eating table so that the diners may rest in a comfortable seiza kneeling position.

Assembled differently, each of the two end base units may be arranged vertically on one edge, standing on the floor, spaced and supported across their top edges by the central base unit to form a shelf support. Each rib, aligned parallel to the floor, provides a ledge for supporting a shelf. Equipped with several shelves, the assemblage provides a storage unit or bookcase.

Holes may be provided as appropriate to secure the various parts together and in position, using any set of conventional fasteners such as screws or removable pins or rivets. Likewise, surface fasteners such as hook-and-loop tape, straps or temporary adhesive can also serve to hold the cushions in position.

Listing Of The Items Seen In The Illustrations

1—Central Base Unit

2—End Base Unit

3—Shelf

4—Cushion

5—Fasteners

6—Bed Assembly

7—Rectangular Ribs

8—Holes for Assembly

9—Shelf Assembly

10—Zabuton Chair Assembly

EXPLANATION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. 1 is an orthogonal view of the complete bed assembly showing the central base unit, flanked on either end by one each of the two end base units, and topped by the three cushions.

FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of the three base units assembled as in FIG. 1, but inverted to reveal their bottom faces, showing their several rectangular ribs.

FIG. 3 is an orthogonal view of the fully assembled shelf assembly.

FIG. 4 is an orthogonal view of the shelf assembly, partially assembled.

FIG. 5 is an orthogonal view of the central base unit arranged with one cushion to form a zabuton chair. Each of the two end base units can serve similarly.

FIG. 6 is an orthogonal view of a typical cushion as would be used on the chair or the bed assembly.

FIG. 7 is an orthogonal view of one exemplary shelf.

It should be understood that these parts may be constructed in any of several ways. For example, additional features could be included in each of the several parts to permit additional combinations and permutations beyond those described here, or to strengthen the parts to serve more robust purposes. Unitary molded or extruded base units designed to avoid capillary action between separate parts afford simplicity, low cost and can be easily sterilized between occupants. 

1-3. (canceled)
 4. A modular furniture set comprising three substantially planar modules, (a) the first of said three modules being a central base unit, (b) the second and third of said three modules each being an end base unit, wherein each of said substantially planar modules is a rectangular panel comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, said first surface being planar and flat, and said second surface provided with a plurality of straight ribs each of rectangular cross-section, two of said straight ribs each being located proximate and parallel to each of two opposing edges of said rectangular modules, and wherein said three substantially planar modules are fastened together to form a free-standing open box-shaped structure, each of said two end base units removably fastened perpendicularly along opposing edges of said central base unit, each of said three modules oriented so that their rectangular ribs are all parallel to one another, run horizontally, and are all on the inner surfaces of the open box-shaped structure thus formed, said open box-shaped structure thus presenting a smooth outer surface and a series of opposing inward-facing parallel ribs on its inner surfaces that provide sliding support for removable shelves placed therein.
 5. A modular furniture set comprising three separate rectangular planar flat panels, each said separate rectangular flat panel having a first rectangular surface and an opposing second rectangular surface, a pair of opposing side edges and a pair of opposing mating edges perpendicular to said pair of side edges; (a) a first of said three rectangular flat panels being a central base unit; (b) the second and third of said three rectangular flat panels each being an end base unit; wherein said three flat base units may be arranged along corresponding mating edges and removably fastened one to the other along said mating edges to form a reconfigurable useful item of furniture.
 6. The modular furniture set of claim 5 wherein said second rectangular surface of each flat base unit is planar and flat but is additionally provided with a plurality of parallel spaced narrow thin straight ribs each of rectangular cross-section, each said rib characterized by its length, its width and its thickness; (a) the length of each said rib extending from one opposing side edge to the opposite opposing side edge of said second planar flat surface, (b) one thin surface of each said rib's rectangular cross-section being coincident to and joined with said second planar rectangular flat surface, (c) two of said thin narrow straight ribs being each located proximate to and parallel with each of said two opposing mating edges of said rectangular flat panels, and (d) the remaining narrow straight ribs disposed between and parallel with these said two thin narrow straight ribs.
 7. The modular furniture set of claim 6 wherein said three flat base units are separated, unfastened, and may be thereby placed individually upon a floor surface to form a trio of cushion supports for a trio of zabuton chairs.
 8. The modular furniture set of claim 6 wherein said three flat base units are separated and unfastened, whereby two of said base units may be nested together across their said ribbed second rectangular surfaces, so being separated by only the dimension of one rib's narrow width, the third of said flat base units may be stacked against one of the resulting two outward-facing unribbed surfaces, thereby forming an extremely compact stack for stowage, even as a raised floor in a small storage closet.
 9. The modular furniture set of claim 6 wherein said three flat base units are removably fastened together seriatim along said mating edges, (a) said central base unit disposed between said two end base units, and said three first planar surfaces coplanar to form an elongated flat and planar bed frame, said straight narrow ribs thereby arranged all parallel to one another and to said mating edges, and thereby all perpendicular to the length of said elongated bed frame, wherein all said ribs may rest on a floor surface, all said first planar surfaces together forming a flat bed surface that may be outfitted with a flat mattress.
 10. The modular furniture set of claim 6 wherein said three rectangular flat base units are removably fastened together perpendicularly to form a free-standing open box-shaped structure, (a) each of said two end base units standing upright on one of its said mating edges upon a floor and (b) said central base unit spanning horizontally between the remaining two upward free mating edges of said end base units, each of said three modules thus oriented so that their rectangular ribs are all parallel to one another, running horizontally, and all on the three inner surfaces of the open box-shaped structure thus formed, said open box-shaped structure thus presenting a smooth outer surface to form a two-sided table.
 11. The modular furniture set of claim 10 thereby presenting a matching series of opposing inward-facing parallel ribs on its inner surfaces that can provide sliding support for removable shelves placed thereon. 